Definition
Distilled water is normal water that has been freed from impurities, especially ions, by the chemical process of distillation. Distilled water can be produced from spring water, tap water or previously purified water. Normal water also contains a quantity of salts, so-called “anne or cations”, as well as trace elements, microorganisms and organic molecules.
Distilling is the process of heating the water so that it evaporates and then allowing the evaporated water to condense. The salts and trace elements do not evaporate and remain behind. To obtain particularly pure water, this process can be repeated as often as desired. What remains is pure, distilled water that is not contaminated by any other chemical substances. It is mainly used in natural sciences, for example in chemistry, medicine or pharmacy, as a solvent for chemical reactions.
Can one drink distilled water?
You can also drink distilled water. In some countries of the world it is bottled and offered as particularly pure drinking water. A persistent myth is the rumour that by drinking distilled water the cells can burst quickly due to the lack of salts.
But this is not true. Cells can actually burst and a severe lack of salt can be very harmful to the body. Because the cells always maintain an equilibrium of salts through their membrane, if the equilibrium were greatly shifted, the cell would fill with water to balance the salt distribution and could burst.
However, this can only happen if there is a strong lack of salt and at the same time the body is over-hydrated. The amount of salts in the water is not decisive for the salt balance of the body. A lack of salt is mainly caused by a particularly one-sided, unbalanced diet.
Drinking distilled water alone does not lead to salt deficiency and therefore does not pose more risks than normal drinking water. Distilled water may be drunk in the same quantities as normal drinking water. However, neither distilled nor normal drinking water may be administered intravenously to the body.
The body needs the digestive process to balance the salt balance. Intravenous liquid solutions must therefore always be mixed with a proportion of electrolytes. Both normal drinking water and distilled water can theoretically cause a threatening low-salt hyperhydration, also known as “water poisoning”.
Water poisoning can be particularly dangerous if the body also loses salt, which is the case, for example, with heavy sweating, vomiting or malnutrition. If one drinks low-salt water in large quantities in this situation, such water poisoning occurs. Dizziness and nausea are the result.
In the worst case, severe organ damage and water retention in the body can occur. Brain edemas can also develop, leading to serious brain dysfunctions. However, the amount of water supplied must be over 10 litres of water, as a healthy person can compensate for a great deal of fluid.
Many people consider distilled water to be particularly healthy because it is free of pathogens and trace elements. However, for everyday use, experts recommend drinking normal, slightly salty drinking water. The following topic might also be of interest to you: What happens if you drink too much water?
